Arne Slot isn’t happy with suggestions that only winning the Premier League title isn’t enough for Liverpool while Real Madrid have been given a boost ahead of facing Arsenal in the Champions League
The season run-in is here and that means one thing: drama. On and off the pitch, tensions are rising as we approach the business end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Saturday sees the first weekend of Premier League football since the middle of March, with Liverpool hoping that Everton can do them a favour and beat Arsenal in the early kick-off. Liverpool themselves aren’t in action until Sunday, as they face Fulham before the main event: the Manchester derby.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is looking to beat Pep Guardiola for the third time this season, having done so with Sporting Lisbon and in the reverse fixture. The Old Trafford fixture also marks Kevin De Bruyne’s final derby after confirming that he’ll leave Manchester City at the end of this season.
The Champions League quarter-finals are on the horizon, too, with Arsenal set to take on Real Madrid in a mouth-watering first leg next Tuesday. Some of the biggest names in football will be on show at the Emirates – but there was a chance that they wouldn’t be.
Here’s a round-up of the biggest stories in football.
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Real Madrid stars avoid ban for Arsenal clash
All four Real Madrid players who were the subject of a UEFA investigation will be allowed to face Arsenal. Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Ceballos and Vinicius Junior were all probed following their behaviour against Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.
Rudiger and Mbappe have been fined €40,000 (£34,000) and €30,000 (£25,000) respectively and the pair have received suspended one-match bans. Ceballos has only been fined €20,000 (£17,000) while Vinicius wasn’t subject to any punishment.
Read the full breakdown here.
Slot snaps back at Owen over ‘bitter’ Liverpool claim
Arne Slot has responded to Michael Owen’s claim that winning the Premier League title wouldn’t be enough to satisfy Liverpool this season. Owen suggested that the Reds’ recent defeats in the Champions League round of 16 and Carabao Cup final would leave a ‘bitter taste’, despite dominating the English title race.
“Michael did play for us didn’t he?” Slot told a news conference. “So he is aware of the fact that in 35 years we won the league once? There is your answer. If you can win the league with this club then, phew, nothing else matters I would say.”
Read Slot’s full comments here.
Man City make fresh legal challenge with Arsenal in firing line
Manchester City have dragged Arsenal into their legal battle with the Premier League. City’s latest challenge relates to sponsorship rules, with the club arguing that attempts to amend them could be discriminatory.
In November, Premier League clubs voted by a margin of 16 to 4 to amend the rules on Associated Party Transactions. According to the Mail, City believe that rivals such as Arsenal would continue to boast an unfair advantage even with the changes put in force.
Read more about City’s challenge here.
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